[Comparative study of serotypes of "Mycobacterium avium" isolated from human and animal (author's transl)].

The large number of avian strains isolated from pathological samples lead us to use serologic method in order to compare the serotypes of animal and human strains. The results show that the serotypes identified in strains from man (1, 2, 8, 9, 12, 14, 16 and 20) are more numerous than those identified in strains from animals (1, 2, 3, 4 and 8), and that the serotypes 1, 2 and 3 are found in animals more often (98%) than in man (47%). The distribution of the identified serotypes are similar to Piening et al's and Schaefer's but with different proportion, and inverse to Nemoto's and Tsukamura's. The transmission of M. avium from animal to man by the intermediary of the environment is discussed.